Two people were killed and a third person was seriously injured in a head-on collision Christmas morning on a dark stretch of State Road 54 near Odessa. Florida Highway Patrol investigators said Donald P. Holes, 52, of Jacksonville was driving his 1989 Toyota sedan eastbound in the westbound lane of SR 54 near Altamont Lane when his vehicle struck the front of a 2006 Cadillac driven by Ernest L. Flanagan, 77, of New Port Richey. Holes was pronounced dead at the scene. Flanagan was taken to University Community Hospital in Tampa, where he later died. His wife, Rose L. Flanagan, 82, was his passenger. She was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, where she was listed in critical condition Thursday afternoon. All the victims were wearing seat belts. The FHP said the accident occurred about 5:10 a.m. on a divided stretch of SR 54, about a quarter-mile west of the Suncoast Parkway. The westbound lanes of SR 54 were closed for about three hours after the accident.

COUNTYWIDE

Put that Christmas tree to a final use

The Christmas tree looks great now, with those unwrapped presents cleared away. But soon it will be time to take it down and pack up those ornaments for another year. Instead of tossing that Tannenbaum to the curb, consider recycling it with the county Parks and Recreation Department, which chips the trees into mulch for the parks. The trees are being accepted today through Jan. 5. Remove all tinsel, decorations and hooks and drop off at any of the following sites: